This proposal deals with ongoing interest of this laboratory in neuroendocrinology and, in particular, in the remarkable discovery of pituitary-like hormones, immunoassayable growth hormone, ACTH and TSH, and bioassayable growth hormone, ACTH, TSH, and LH/FSH in discrete extra-pituitary portions of the central nervous system (Science, in press). These findings complement similar recent reports of extra-pituitary localization of immunoassayable ACTH (Krieger et al., 1977) and hypothalamic localization, by immunoperoxidase staining, of prolactin (Fuxe et al., 1977). In the course of attempting to localize the CNS origin of a growth hormone releasing factor in cerebral spinal fluid, previously reported from this laboratory (Lancet 1: 599, 1974) it was found that medium harvested from certain neurons grown in tissue culture contain significant quantities of immunoassayable growth hormone, and subsequent studies have revealed the presence of growth hormone, immunologically indistinguishable from native rat growth hormone, in several areas of the rat brain. Because of reports of bilateral destruction of the amygdaloid nucleus of the brain results in remarkable inhibition of growth in several infant species, we have concentrated initial studies on this particular area of the CNS and have reported the presence of several immunoassayable and bioassayable pituitary-like hormones. It is the purpose of this grant request to secure funds to 1) establish the distribution of immunoassayable and bioassayable pituitary hormones in discrete structures of the rat and primate central nervous system, 2) determine how the anterior pituitary influences the presence of these pituitary-like hormones in the CNS, and 3) determine what influence target gland ablation may have on the presence of these particular peptides in the brain.